


手作りチョコ (Handmade Chocolates)

by besanii



Series: 学園小説 [5]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Chocolate, Cooking, Japanese Culture, Kissing, M/M, Misunderstandings, Valentine's Day Fluff, first year enjolras, grantaire senpai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-06 20:26:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1871292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/besanii/pseuds/besanii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Did I – did I do something to upset you?” he asks softly.  Enjolras shakes his head, but refuses to look up.  “Did you want to have lunch together, then?  I haven’t seen you all day.”</p><p>Enjolras shakes his head again, biting the inside of his cheek hard.  “I can’t, I’m sorry.  I have something really important to do.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	手作りチョコ (Handmade Chocolates)

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this headcanon](http://besanii.tumblr.com/post/86601642208/grantaire-being-broken-hearted-when-he-doesnt-even) from the Japanese anime high school AU series.
> 
> Valentine's Day in Japan is for girls to give chocolates to the boys they like, who return the gifts on White Day (March 14). It's also a day you can give obligation chocolates to older people (e.g. senpai and teachers) who have helped you throughout the year, to show your gratitude.

“Senpai!  Happy Valentine’s day!”

“Ah, thank you.”

Enjolras chews on his bottom lip and glares as he watches Grantaire smile at the girl and accept the little giftwrapped box from her as she blushes and stammers a response.  His grip around his bag strap tightens until his knuckles turn white and doesn’t relax until she hastily bows and runs away.  Grantaire is still smiling and holding the gift and Enjolras wants nothing more than to knock it out of his hands.

He glances down at the paper bag nestled in the crook of his own elbow, the barest glimpses of pastel tissue paper peeking out from the top, and scowls.

And then Grantaire sees him, waves, and jogs up to him with a wide grin.

“Morning,” he says.  “You’re bright and early today.”

“Good morning, senpai,” Enjolras says with a tight smile.  “I actually had a few things to do this morning, so I’ll see you later."

He turns on his heel and marches off without a backward glance, leaving Grantaire standing in front of the school building looking absolutely flabbergasted.

He successfully avoids Grantaire for most of the morning, since they have classes in different parts of the building.  He smiles when the girls in his class approach him shyly, offering little store-bought chocolates and handcrafted cards with a soft ‘happy Valentine’s day’, and puts each one inside his desk for safe keeping.  He grits his teeth and barely manages to be civil when several girls ask him to pass on their gifts to Grantaire.

“Thank you so much, Enjolras!”

They walk away, tittering amongst themselves as he eyes the trash can in the corner of the room.  He shakes his head and puts the gifts in his bag.

 

\--

 

He brings chocolates of his own to hand out to each of his friends.  Obligation chocolates, as his mother called them, a gesture of appreciation for everything they’ve done for him this year.  He has them wrapped in each of their favourite colours and finished off with a nice ribbon and it warms his heart to see their faces light up when he hands it to them.

“Thank you so much!” Jehan gushes, pressing a kiss to his cheek.  “It’s lovely.”

Enjolras is busy folding up the now-empty paper bag when Grantaire strolls up to them, hands in his trouser pockets.  The corners of Enjolras’ mouth turn down, but neither Grantaire nor Jehan notice.

“Grantaire, have you gotten your chocolate from Enjolras yet?” Jehan asks, showing his own box with its lavender ribbon.  “He really went out of his way this year!  It’s beautiful.”

Grantaire’s eyes dart between Enjolras and the box, his brows knitting.  Enjolras feels his insides squirm and a telltale flush burn his ears when Grantaire tells Jehan that no, he hasn’t received any chocolates from Enjolras.  His voice is low and soft; the disappointment lacing the words sends a pang of guilt lancing through him.  Jehan picks up on the tension immediately and excuses himself to class, even though only half the lunch hour has passed.

Enjolras doesn’t have to raise his eyes to know what expression is in Grantaire’s.  He bites his lip and looks away.  Grantaire coughs.

“Did I – did I do something to upset you?” he asks softly.  Enjolras shakes his head, but refuses to look up.  “Did you want to have lunch together, then?  I haven’t seen you all day.”

Enjolras shakes his head again, biting the inside of his cheek hard.  “I can’t, I’m sorry.  I have something really important to do.”

He flees.

 

\--

 

It shouldn’t bother him this much.

Grantaire is equal parts concerned and disappointed when Enjolras all but runs away from him, leaving him without a clue as to why he was being given the cold shoulder - and without any Valentine's gift. Not that he'd been expecting one from Enjolras, of all people. Except all their friends he'd spoken to today had mentioned receiving pretty little packages from the first year with handwritten notes thanking them for their help throughout the year.

No, he wasn't disappointed at all.

He wanders back to the north building, where the arts and home ec classrooms are, thinking to get a head start on his project for the photography club. He had been hoping that Enjolras would be his model for the new series of portraits he’d been planning on doing, but with the way things are at the moment, he isn’t sure if it was a viable option.

He’s walking past the home ec corridor on his way up the stairs leading to the dark rooms when he hears loud clanging coming from the classroom on the end.

“Damn it!” a familiar voice says loudly, angrily even.  Grantaire frowns and slides the door open.

“Enjolras?”

The first year freezes, crouched in front of the cupboards under one of the counters lined up around the room. His shoulders slump as Grantaire slides the door shut and crosses the room.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

There is a pan sitting on the cold stove, half filled with water. Beside it is a metal bowl full of clumpy, dark brown matter that reminds Grantaire a little of drying mud. Enjolras hides his face in the open cupboard and sniffles.

"I was - I wanted to make truffles," he says in a small voice. "I got the recipe from Musichetta and we did it once over the weekend, but I couldn't get the chocolate and the cream to combine and now it's all curdled and -"

Grantaire laughs. The sound makes Enjolras jerk to his feet, his whole body tense. He swipes angrily at his cheeks with the back of his hands and Grantaire's heart clenches at the sight of them, red-rimmed and damp. He reaches out to grasps his elbow gently and is grateful when Enjolras doesn't shake him off. But he doesn't turn to look at him either.

"Hey, Enjolras," he says softly. "It's okay. It's just chocolate. You can try again later."

Enjolras shakes his head.

"No, I can't! It's too late - don't you see?" he cries, wrapping his arms around himself, looking the very picture of misery. "This is the last chance I'll get-"

"What do you mean?" Grantaire asks, startled. "Last chance for what?"

"You're graduating this year," Enjolras says, anguished. "You'll be going to university and I'll be here for another two years and this is my last chance to tell you-"

He claps a hand over his mouth and his cheeks turn pink. It darkens and spreads as Grantaire stares at him with wide eyes. He slams the cupboard door shut and starts clearing away the pan, his lower lip trembling and determinedly not looking at Grantaire.

He jumps when arms reach around him for the bowl. Grantaire dips his finger into the lumpy mess and scoops out some of the curdled chocolate, much to Enjolras' dismay.

"Don't eat that," he says, trying to bat Grantaire's finger away from his mouth. "It's gross."

Grantaire eats it anyway, humming thoughtfully as he licks the remnants from his finger. Then he smiles.

"It's delicious," he says. "Thank you."

"You don't have to lie to make me feel better," Enjolras mumbles. "I know it's not as good as Musichetta's..."

He's interrupted by Grantaire, who jabs a finger smeared with ganache between his parted lips. He stares up into Grantaire's playful expression, frozen to the spot.

"Your sister," Grantaire begins seriously, "is a fabulous cook. But this isn't anything to do with her. This is about you. And your chocolate is delicious."

He slowly pulls the finger away, brushing the tip across Enjolras' lips in a featherlight caress. A soft sigh escapes Enjolras at the touch and his eyes drift shut as he leans into the warmth of Grantaire’s hand, even as Grantaire is leaning forward. Their lips brush together gently.

“Thank you,” Grantaire murmurs into the kiss.  “I love it.”

Enjolras sighs against his lips and smiles.

“Happy Valentine's Day, senpai.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr!](http://besanii.tumblr.com/)


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